California Teamsters Protest DBI Beverage

SACRAMENTO, CA – Teamsters from four local unions and Joint Council 7 marched in the 12th Annual Cesar E. Chavez March today to raise awareness about anti-immigrant behavior, worker abuse and discrimination by DBI Beverage, the distributor of products by Coors Brewing Co. in Northern California.

The Teamsters, from Local Unions 150, 439, 853 and 856, carried banners and leaflets that read “Tell Coors Hating Immigrants is Tasteless,” and “Tell Coors: Stop Your Hating. This is California.”

“Coors has a long history of funding anti-immigrant organizations and politicians, as does DBI Beverage’s owner,” said Jim Tobin, President of Local 150 in Sacramento. “Coors also funds groups that are anti-worker and promote laws that would suppress minority voting. So it’s not surprising that its distributor, DBI Beverage, has discriminatory practices in the workplace.”

DBI Beverage takes in $250 million in annual revenue, yet it implemented a discriminatory “merit pay” wage system on longtime drivers and warehouse workers in Sacramento and Stockton, many of whom have an immigrant background.

In South San Francisco, DBI wants to reduce benefits and working conditions for its mostly female customer service workforce that will still be provided to DBI’s male warehouse workers and drivers.

“The workers that distribute Coors products throughout Northern California are appealing to the community today,” said Sam Rosas, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 439 in Stockton. “We want our neighbors to know that in this devastated economy, DBI wants to destroy good jobs. All these loyal workers want is a contract that respects the work they do.”

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women inthe United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.